Chapter 19
A secluded balcony in the corner of the lavish ballroom.
Two young ladies were speaking in hushed tones.
"Are you sure this is all right? Our opponent is the Grand Ducal House of Cardenos...."
"Are you thinking of backing out now?"
One young lady nervously fidgeted with her fan, while the other bit her lip tightly and glared.
They had been hired by the eldest son of House Rosenthal several days ago.
―Somehow humiliate House Cardenos at this Founding Festival. If you make them the laughingstock of high society, Rosenthal will become your steadfast backer.
With the magical House Rosenthal behind them, their futures at the Magic Tower would be as smooth as a paved road.
To the two young ladies who walked the path of magic, this offer was a poison apple they could not refuse.
"But if we provoke Young Master Astin by mistake...."
"Even Rosenthal would have trouble provoking that violent wastrel. Have you forgotten? He said to humiliate Cardenos, not Astin."
"You mean we should target the bastard daughter?"
"Yes. Celine, was it? She'll do nicely."
She was an illegitimate daughter to begin with. If they tied the right strings together, they could at least put a blemish on Cardenos's reputation.
"He seems to cherish her despite that. Is it really all right? He might beat us half to death, just as he did Lady Azeline...."
"Then that's good for us. It would only damage his own reputation, wouldn't it?"
"...Ah! That's true. We should provoke him even more, shouldn't we?"
Young Master Astin had laid hands on Rosenthal's treasured daughter.
It was obvious what he would do if his anger reached its boiling point.
If he struck a young lady at the Founding Festival, his reputation would plummet.
It was a vulgar phrase for a young lady, but essentially, he would be taking the hits for them.
If anything, they should have worried about Cardenos's retaliation.
But Rosenthal had promised to smooth that over too, so there was practically nothing to worry about.
"Then how should we humiliate that bastard?"
"I've already thought of something. First, while passing by that bastard......."
***
My sleeve was pulled taut.
Lucia, crouched beneath the table, was tugging on it.
"You don't need to go anywhere. Stay here."
She had suddenly sprung out like a cat and even grabbed me.
I spent five seconds recovering from my dazed state.
"It's not a matter of whether I need to go. I should leave quickly. I don't think I'll see anything good if I stay here."
"If you're gone, I'll be the one who suffers. You're tall enough to hide someone my size all by yourself, aren't you? Please save me."
What was I supposed to save her from? It wasn't as though she was being chased by hunters.
"I thought you didn't even want me near you."
"Me?"
"You looked like you didn't even want to breathe the same air as me."
"When did I ever say that?"
"Do people really need to say things out loud? It was obvious."
Lucia, who had been looking up at me, lowered her gaze.
She pouted and tapped the floor with her heel.
"I told you I wasn't like that......"
"I know. You're so quick to notice things, after all."
"Whatever. Fine."
"Yes. Have a pleasant Founding Festival."
I gave her a polite nod and turned around. I was just about to leave when my sleeve was pulled taut again.
Why was she so hell-bent on not letting me stand anywhere else?
I understood that I was merely a screen to help her avoid the four men. But why did it have to be me?
She was the woman who had been glaring at me like I was her mortal enemy until just moments ago.
She should have hated even breathing the same air as me.
"Did Sir Julian tell you something?"
"......."
As expected, I had hit the nail on the head.
"What did you hear that made your attitude change so much?"
Lucia hesitated, then struggled to speak.
"I'm sorry for misunderstanding you. I was wrong about you, Young Master."
"That's unexpected. I didn't expect you to apologize so readily."
"To be honest, I'd suspected something about the relationship between Azeline and Sir Julian for a while."
"It seemed too suspicious to be merely a senior-junior relationship."
"...Yes."
"Let me ask you one thing. What did Azeline say about the duel? About what caused it, I mean."
I was also curious about what sort of story Azeline had concocted.
More precisely, I wanted to know exactly how much of a bitch she was.
"She said you were the cause. She said it was the only way she could escape your oppression...."
"You must have been cast as the villain without rhyme or reason."
Lucia gave a small nod. A dark shadow lay across her face.
I liked that she didn't blindly defend her just because she was her friend.
"I think I understand. She must have dressed up her inappropriate relationship with Julian as a tragic romance resisting oppression."
"That's right."
"You're not going to argue because I insulted your friend?"
"How could I? I heard the whole story from Sir Julian. It's wrong to take your friend's side in everything just because she's your friend."
I didn't bother asking how Julian had explained it. It was probably similar to what he had told me.
"I actually thought you'd be angry."
"Me?"
"Azeline said a lot of awful things about you behind your back. Anyone would be angry upon learning that their fiancée had done that."
"What good would getting angry do? It'd only give me hair loss."
"...You're nothing like the rumors say."
Lucia's expression as she looked at me seemed to say, You're not what I expected.
"Actually, I didn't believe only Azeline's words. The rumors also influenced me when I judged you so recklessly."
That meant Azeline's tearful performance and my awful reputation had combined to produce the perfect effect.
"Now that I see you for myself, I guess rumors really can't be trusted. You shouldn't judge people carelessly based only on rumors. I keep trying to remember that, but I keep forgetting."
I deeply agreed with her on that point.
You shouldn't judge people carelessly based only on rumors.
Everyone knew that, yet when the moment came, people were easily swayed by rumors.
I had done the same.
"The fact that you acknowledge it and apologize tells me you're a good person, my lady."
"Oh, that's only natural."
Her ruby-like eyes shone clearly.
The way she acknowledged her prejudice and corrected herself. She truly had the uprightness of a protagonist.
"Most people can't do that. I couldn't either."
"You too, Young Master?"
"I was worse than you."
"Then I'll say the same thing to you. The fact that you acknowledge it and reflect on it tells me you're a good person too, Young Master."
As if. I rolled the short sentence around in my mouth.
Only now did I think about it.
The romance-fantasy heroine who abandoned her responsibility and played around with men.
I had judged Lucia that way based only on rumors.
I had to, so I could place all the blame for the world's destruction on her alone.
The romance fantasy I had seen was, in fact, a fantasy novel wearing the skin of a romance fantasy.
The long, painful regret drew a bitter smile from me.
Just as I looked up at the sky to shake off that emotion.
Rattle-
I suddenly heard a door opening behind me.
I quickly moved away from Lucia. She flinched.
"Aah......!"
She reached out her hand, but caught nothing but empty air.
I was sorry, but I had no choice. Hiding her like this would only invite needless misunderstandings.
In truth, I wasn't sorry at all.
"There you are, Big Brother."
"Hm?"
Celine approached with a broad, carefree smile.
Was it you?
"I was scared for nothing."
"...? What did you get scared of?"
"Nothing."
Celine, who had been approaching, suddenly stopped dead.
As soon as her gaze dropped past me, she clapped a hand over her mouth.
"Gasp! That pretty lady?"
Lucia let out a sigh of relief and pressed a hand to her chest.
Fortunately, it wasn't one of the four men, but it was hardly time to relax.
"What were you two doing...?"
Celine looked back and forth between us with a meaningful gaze.
I didn't feel any need to explain. I assumed Lucia would explain it all herself.
Lucia was staring right back at me. What, was she challenging me to a staring contest?
"Lady Lucia."
"Yes?"
"Aren't you going to explain yourself to my sister?"
"Your sister? Wow, she's adorable. She doesn't look anything like you, Young Master."
"She's illegitimate, that's why. Unlike me, she's got plenty of cute qualities."
Celine scratched her cheek, seeming embarrassed.
The suspicious look with which she had been studying our relationship disappeared completely.
She was unbelievably quick on the uptake.
It was remarkable that she had sensed how utterly unromantic the atmosphere was between a handsome young man and woman alone together on a terrace.
Tap!
"Lucia!"
In the meantime, another presence joined us.
It was none other than one of the four men, Damien, the vice tower master of Sirius Tower.
I quickly turned my back so he couldn't see my face.
"As I thought, you were hiding here! Hm? But what's that... a man?"
Step. Step. The footsteps drew closer.
I had hoped he would simply pass by, but he suddenly stuck his face in anyway.
"Huh! Young Master Astin!?"
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Lord Damien."
"What brings Young Master Astin here!?"
It sounded more like a shout than a question.
He looked back and forth between Lucia and me, then flew into a rage.
This was exactly why I had tried to leave. Damn it.
"How dare a wastrel from House Cardenos! Why are you standing beside Miss Lucia!?"
"Your words are excessive for a first meeting. It's not as though I want to be here—"
"Shut up, Astin!"
"You ask me a question, then tell me to shut up. Which is it?"
"You shameless wretch who hits women! Get the hell out of here!"
Damien's eyes lit with rage. The mana around him surged so violently that the air seemed to prickle.
The fact that he raised his killing intent without even asking a question showed how crazy he was about Lucia.
I had sworn to Father I wouldn't cause trouble—but to hell with it.
I had no desire to back down either.
"What shameless bullshit. You're a moron who neglects his duties and melts over a woman."
"...Ha! You really have gone mad! I came solely to escort Lucia!"
"Not even a rutting stray dog is this obvious."
"You bastard!!"
"It's amazing that an idiot like you is the vice tower master. Isn't that right, Lady Lucia?"
"Uh... I suppose so......?"
Damien's facial muscles trembled.
Press!
He came right up to me and pressed down on my shoulder with a fingertip. It didn't hurt, but it was irritating.
"Don't change the subject. Answer me right now. How are you alone with Miss Lucia? If you threatened her and are keeping her here, I'll turn you into ash."
"Alone? What, did you boil your eyes for soup? Can't you see there are three of us here?"
"Are you trying to play word games with me!?"
Without thinking, I pointed at Celine with my index finger. Damien's murderous gaze followed my fingertip.
Celine's shoulders hunched as his gaze fell on her.
Worried that Celine might get caught in the crossfire, I clenched my fist tightly.
If things went south, I would punch him in the jaw and knock him out.
A mage needed distance to be a mage. At this range, I had the advantage.
"......?"
For some reason, Damien froze completely, like a stone statue.
Judging by the way he had frozen upon seeing Celine, he had clearly glimpsed her potential.
By the time a mage reached fifth rank, they were capable of gauging someone's potential just by looking at them.
"......Ah."
As expected, Damien approached Celine with a dazed expression.
Her talent was enough to catch even the next Tower Master's eye.
I had already expected it, but an expert's confirmation was something else entirely.
Clap!
All of a sudden, Damien clasped his face with both hands.
"Kyaaaaaaah!!! How can this beeeeee!!!"
"Whoa, you startled me."
Damien let out an incomprehensible shriek and tore at his hair.
He had clearly felt the insurmountable gap in Celine's potential and realized what a pathetic idiot he was.
"Ngh! N-no...! I can't compete...... Kyaaaaaaaah!!"
Thud!
At last, Damien's knees hit the floor.
His head drooped, and his eyes were shut.
Had the unbearable shock knocked him unconscious?
The three of us stared at Damien as though he were a madman.
Lucia and Celine looked worried, but neither dared approach him.
They had instinctively realized that one shouldn't associate with a madman.
Flash!
Damien suddenly opened his eyes.
"Ah. How futile inner beauty is...."
After blathering something incomprehensible, he raised his head toward Celine.
"Oh, beautiful young lady whose name I do not know. If there is a goddess of love and beauty, she must surely resemble you. I earnestly beg you—may I know your name? Please whisper it with those sweet lips of yours."
"......What?"
That fucking bastard?